CSI2* Le Mans
France

Patrice Delaveau takes the Longines Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez

Saturday, 07 June 2014

The winner: Patrice Delaveau on Carinjo HDC. Photos by World of Showjumping. Patrice Delaveau took a very popular home win in the Longines Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez on Saturday afternoon riding Carinjo HDC (Cascavelle x Landgraf I). It was a class that offered top sport under supreme conditions, and in beautiful settings with the Pampelonne beach as backdrop. With 13 of the 33 riders going clear in the first round, it was going to be a very fast second round with some of the best riders in the world in action.

No less than four Brazilian riders made it to the second round, and the one that opened up was Edouardo Menezes on Quintol (Quintender x Cento). Menezes had one vertical half way down though, and in the end had to settle for ninth. Then followed Philippe Rozier – one of two home riders going clear in the first round – and with a steady second clear on Rahotep de Toscane (Quidam de Revel) he went into the lead.

Runner-up Nicola Philippaerts on Donatella-N.Rozier was quickly taken over though, first by Marcus Ehning who produced two picture perfect rounds on the lovely Cornado NRW (Cornet Obolensky x Acobat). Making an inside turn from the first oxer to the following vertical and then sailing around the remains of the shortened track that counted eight fences including a combination Marcus stopped the clock at 41.27 seconds. As next to go Rodrigo Pessoa did another class-act on Status (Satisfaction x Sao Paulo), shaving the time down to 41.05 seconds after a smooth and beautiful round. Katharina Offel did a second steady clear on the little bounce ball B Once Z (Baloubet du Rouet x Lavaletto) – settling into fourth behind Pessoa, Ehning and Rozier.

The next five riders – Amy Graham, Aymerick De Ponnat, Marc McAuley, Marlon Zanotelli and Gerco Schröder – all had a fence down each, but Nicola Philippaerts showed what he and Donatella N (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Burggraaf) are made off as next to go in the ring. The chestnut mare is maybe not the most conventional, but she jumps like crazy and Nicola used her huge canter to his advantage on the open stretches stopping the clock on 40.80 seconds to take the lead.

Rodrigo Pessoa and Status ended third. It looked nearly impossible to beat, but Patrice Delaveau would as next in prove that is was not. Patrice is known for his danger against the clock – and being on home soil with the crowd cheering him on certainly provided a little extra motivation. Putting the 13 year old stallion in top gear from the start, Patrice left little doubt that he was all in for the win and as the only rider he got down on the 39-mark with a time as good as 39.42 seconds. One of the hosts Doda de Miranda was the last rider to do anything about Patrice, but AD Nouvelle Europe Z (Nelson Z x Jimtown) clipped the a-element of the combination – leaving the win to Patrice and Haras Des Coudrettes.